Vehicle.



PATENTED JUNE 30, 1908. B. R. HEWITT.

VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED 001'. 1, 1906.

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finesse:

UNITED STATES i ruur OFFICE.

EDWARD R. HEWITT, OF NEW YORK, N.

VEHICLE.

Patented June 30, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD R. HEWITT, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of New York, in the county of New York and State ofNew York, have invented 'certain new and useful Improvements in In theordinary construction of road vehicles, there is a direct sprinconnection between theaxle-bars and they ody, which is required to yieldto the full extent of motion of the wheels in use. This arrangementtransmits a considerable percentage of the vibration to the vehicle bodybecause the full amount of pressure exerted on the s ring by the wheelson going over an obstac e is given to the frame of the vehicle andbody.It is clear that if it were possible to reduce the amount of the motiondue to this force the body and frame would more nearl remain in aparallel plane when the whee go over an o stacle.

The object of the present invention is to reduce this motion by aleverhaving une ual arms on each side of the fulcrum., It as been provedby experiment that the amount of vertical motion imparted to the bodywhen the wheels go over an obstacle is reduced b this device inproportion to the length 0 the lever arms on each side of the fulcrum toeach other. In practical work it is easy to reduce. the vibration toonefifth or one-fourth of that sustained with the usual type of.springs.

A further object is to avoid breaking the springs by shock or rebound.It is also found that the mechanical construction is such that sprin smay very vreadil be exchanged or ma e to carry greater oads bytightening the nuts, and increasing the tension.

I .With these and other objects in view the invention consists in thefeatures of improvement. hereinafter set forth and claimed. In-thedrawin s, Figure 1 is plan view of a vehicle having t e features of myinvention embodied therein; Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, withtwoWheels removed. 7

When a motor vehicle is proceeding along an ordinary road,'the wheelsenter every depression therein and have a continuous and very irregularmovement in a vertical direction. If the vehicle body and the axle-barsare directly connected by sprin s,

it is unavoidable that a large amount of t e wheel movement betransmitted to the vehicle body through the spring connection.

In carrying out my invention I aim 'to overcome this defect by anintermediate lever between the axle-bar and the s rings of, the vehiclebody, so that the whee s and the axle-bar canv transmit only a fractionof their movement to the vehicle body.

Referrin to the drawings in which like parts are esignated by thesamereference sign, 1 indicates the body or chassis of a vehicle, forexample that of an ordmary motor car.

2 indicates axle-bars thereof, having the usual wheels 3, revoluble atthe axle extremities in the ordinary way. In place of the usual sprinconnection et body and t e axle-bars I employ a special lever connectionembodying the principles of my invention.

4 denote levers connected to the axle-bars at 5, and fulcrumed at '6 toextensions 7 of the vehicle'body or chassis. The levers 4, may be thefirst or second order; that is to sa they, may be extended at 8, beyondthe fu crum 6, or the may terminate at the fulcrum dpoint. I aveillustrated the levers exten ed beyond the fulcrum point and havsprin sserve to normally hold the levers 4 in a mi -position of their range ofmovement, so that the levers are capable of, movm either up or down inthe normal operation of the car.- The sprin 9' bears against an abutment11, on the b0 y or chassis 1, while the sprin 10 shoulders against awasher 12 sulpporte at the extremity of the bolt 13, by t *nuts 14. Thebolt 13 is conveniently arranged to depend from the body or chassis 1.,through the sprin s 9 and 10 and through the lever extension 8 or thispurpose.

The operation is as follows: As the vehicle proceeds along the roadway,the wheels and their axle-bars have an unavoidable vertical movement,which is at times of considerable am litude. This movement istransmitted I to t e levers 4, which oscillate'on the fulcrum 6 toaccommodate it,; but it is evident that the extensions 8 of the leversdo not have as wide an arc of movement as the axle bars because of theirless distance from the fulcrums 6. The lever vibrations are at" onceabween the vehicle ing springs 9 and 10 hearing thereon. These sorbed byone or another of the two sprin s 9' and 10, and the amount of vibrationwhic is finally imparted to the vehicle body or chas sis is reduced inproportion to the relation of 5 the lever arms. a I regard the aboveconstruction as a very 'may be broken. A simple channel frame withparallel sides may be used in place of the rather costly irregularlyshaped frames or chassis now in use.

What I claim, is

In combination with an automobile chassis having rigid side bars, rigidextensions depending therefrom at a pair of transversely oppositepoints, a rod joining the transversely opposite extensions, leverspivoted thereto and extending rearwardly with respect to the chassissaid levers having short arms projecting forwardly and verticallyperforated' at their extremities, bolts depending rigidly from saidchassis through said perforations, springs surrounding said bolts andengaging said arms of the levers on opposite sides, nuts and washers atthe lower ends of the bolts serving to hold said springs adjustably inplace, and an axle having wheels, at the extremities of the rearwardlyextending portions of said levers.

In witness whereof, I subscribe my signature, in the presence of twowitnesses.

' EDWARD R. HEWITT.

Witnesses:

J OHN F.- LAW, 7 J. M. A. FOLEY.

